Off-Screen Content

Night Feedings by Age –When Do You Try Night Weaning?

A very common question I get is when a baby can go all night without a feeding. This article will outline general guidelines about how many night-feedings you can expect at each age.

Pediatricians all seem to disagree to the answer to the question when a baby can go all night without a feeding. There is Ferber who claims babies don’t need to eat at night after 3 months old and then there is Weissbluth who says that babies need 1-2 feedings up through 9 months old. Who’s right? They are both pediatricians with a lot of experience. Talk to your pediatrician and the answer will likely be even something different.

Although I do really like Ferber’s book and have learned A LOT from it, I can not, in good conscience, ever recommend night-weaning at 3 months old. I think that is extreme to think that all babies can do that, particularly breastfed babies. Some parents are lucky enough that their baby does it on his own that young or younger, but many parents simply aren’t that lucky.

I am not, in general, an extremist and when it comes to hunger at night, I err on the side of caution. I know that it would be sooo much easier, for US, to not feed at night, but there are adults who can’t go 12 hours without eating, so I am not sure why we expect our babies to. I am all for breaking sleep associations and promoting healthy sleep for our babies, but I don’t recommend night-weaning until your baby is showing signs she is ready and that age varies by child.

Now, I know that it can be difficult to tell when exactly your unique baby is ready for night weaning – that’s why I created a night weaning quiz, Is Your Baby Ready For Night Weaning? It’s very short – just 5 questions – and easy to take, so if you’re struggling with whether or not your baby is ready for night weaning, I suggest you take this quiz. The response you get will help you determine whether not you should move forward with night weaning, or whether or not you need to wait a bit, and try night weaning later.

Below are the number of feedings at night, at various ages, that are within “normal” range (in my experience) and don’t throw up a red flag that there is more going on than just a feeding:

Obviously, growth spurts are an exception and you should feed as needed during those. Growth spurts are generally over within a week.

I typically recommend at least an attempt at night-weaning by 8-9 months old, because at some point, sometimes it is a chicken and egg problem. A baby needs a certain amount of sustenance during the day and if he gets some at night, he won’t eat more during the day and if he doesn’t eat more during the day, he needs it at night. So, sometimes, a baby really does feel hungry at night, but it doesn’t mean he can’t go all night without a feeding, it simply means he needs to adjust how much he’s eating during the day. The idea is to gently help him do this.

I personally tried to night-wean around 9 months, but with both my boys, they did continue to eat at night up through a year and I weaned to cow’s milk (not sure if it was age or the weaning, though). They did, however, sleep better after I at least nudged them in the right direction, so I was glad I at least tried.

For more guidance on night-weaning, check out our special members-only resources in our Members Area:

Your turn – how often do you feed your baby at night? Are you working on night weaning? Scroll down to share your tips and questions with us and to hear from other parents just like you

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Maranda Malenfantsays

My baby is 8 months old and has been waking 3-4 times per night since he was 4 months old. Sometimes I get lucky and he only wakes up twice. Right now he only takes maybe two 30 minute naps each day. Sometimes he’ll do 45 minutes. He is still sleeping in our room because we are putting an addition on our house so he sleeps right next to me in his pack & play. When he wakes up he demands to eat and will only eat for a few minutes to fall back asleep. He does take a pacifier and sometimes I can get him to take that instead of eating again. He was up at 10, 12, 1:30, 3 then up at 6 this morning. I’d like to try and get him down to one night time feeding but feel that him being in our room isn’t helping. Any suggestions? I’m drained.

Hello @Maranda,
Thank you for writing us. I’m sorry to hear your family is having sleep problems and your son is struggling with sleeping at night and also with short naps! I know how exhausting this can be for mom and dad! You’re not alone and we would love to help!
We do have e-Books and premium resources available where the research has been done for you, which will help you gently night wean your little guy and also teach him how to fall back to sleep on his own and lengthen those naps. Or, for the fastest service, we have expert sleep consultants waiting to help!
Since you are already quite drained, I do believe you could benefit from one of our Personalized Sleep Consultation packages, our most popular option. In our consultations, we will work with you on a detailed plan to which you can commit and feel good about. All of our email consultation packages for new clients include a Personalized Sleep Plan, which is a detailed guide written just for your family given your specific sleep history and goals.
You can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here:https://babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services
Please let us know if you have any questions at any time and hang in there Maranda!

Our baby is 19 weeks. She goes down at 6/6.30pm and wakes around 10.30pm and again at 2ish for feeds. Usually she goes back to sleep afterwards but on occasions she wakes again around 3.30am and needs settling. Her usual wake time is around 5.30am.

Does this seem appropriate for her age? I would like to reduce night feeds but concerned that she wouldn’t be getting enough milk as she doesn’t feed as well in the day???

Hi @Charlotte, thanks for writing to us. Here is a link to a 5 month schedule: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/5-month-old-baby-schedule/
You’ll see 1-2 wake ups are still normal at this age, so most babies will still need some feedings to get them through (we also have how much breastmilk/formula she’ll need in a 24 hour period as well as solids if they have been introduced). I hope that helps! Let us know if you have more questions as she gets older, we have tons of resources that are super helpful as she continues to grow!

Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! Most breastfed babies can be nightweaned by 12 months if they’re otherwise healthy, and many can be nightweaned even earlier, but it’s normal for breastfed babies to wean a little later than formula-fed babies do. If your 10 month-old is sleeping well and the feeding isn’t a problem for you, you can likely just wait for her to drop it on her own. If it is causing an issue for your family, then you can night weaning by using a sleep coaching method of your choice, and see how she does. I hope this helps!

My LO completed 6 months. I started semi solids post 5 and a half months, upon consultation with my pediatrician. My LO has habit of sucking thumb, we co-sleep and upon hearing the sucking sound at night, I immediately feed her, believing that she is hungry. However, today i watched her, she took her thumb, sucked for sometime and left. she did not cry or anything.
My question is about night feedings. I read that 1-2 night feedings are still required at this age. However, i need to know the indications as to when should i really feed her.
thanks

Hi PD,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! As a rule, most healthy babies will start to fuss or cry when they’re hungry, and nothing else except milk will soothe them. So, if your baby is fussing and rocking doesn’t help, her diaper is clean, and she’s not overtired, then she may be hungry. Many babies suck on their fingers or other objects to self-soothe, or when they’re teething, so sucking is not a great indication of hunger at this age. I hope this helps!

..hi my baby is going 5months by nov11..i feed her at 6pm and she sleep for about 9hrs w/out feeding..i gave her milk at 3am even if she still sleeping..is it normal for 4month old baby to feed once evry nigth?

Hi @Zehf, thanks for writing to us, I am happy to help! Some babies can sleep longer stretches at this age. 🙂 Consider yourself lucky for sure! If you have any concerns that she’s not getting enough milk or gaining weight properly then definitely reach out to her doctor for make sure they confirm all looks well. One of my kids was a great sleeper and was sleeping about that long at that age as well, turns out he’s my most well behaved child, and it started with sleep for us. I am sure she’s darling. 🙂 Thanks again for you comment!

I care for a baby whose Mom doesn’t want him to use a bottle. He is here from 8-5:30 without eating, he cries all the time and doesn’t sleep. This is the 3rd parent that has done this. Is this now a cruel trend or is it okay? I don’t think it is.

Hi Debbie,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with feeding. We work more with sleep, but if you’d like to write back with the baby’s age, and whether you’re worried about day feeding or night feeding, I’d be happy to get you some more resources. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Anna – That’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard. That is absolute chid abuse. As the care giver, you need to report that mother. There is NO way a baby can or should go 10.5 hours without eating. Please do something for the child’s sake.

@Debbie –
If you are at all concerned about the well-being of any child in your care, please speak to the family about this directly, and report as necessary to the proper local authorities. If you cannot come to a good resolution with the family/families, perhaps you can add a clause to your contracts to include feeding requirements. Good luck, and we really hope that things are better already!

Hello!
I have a 6 month old and I am planning to sleep train him in the near future. I’m unsure on how many night feeds he actually really needs though. Lately I have been feeding him at 10-11pm and then again in the morning but he always wakes up around the 2-3am mark and has a very hard time going back to sleep. I honestly don’t even know if he is hungry or if it’s just habitual waking (we have 10+ -short- night wakings anyway, that’s why I want to sleep train). Do you think I should offer a bottle at 2-3am or should I be consistent in teaching him not to eat at night but rather more during the day?

Hi @Alberta, thanks for writing to us. I am happy to help. Here is a link to a sample schedule for a 6 month old: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/6-month-old-baby-schedule/
At this age, 1-2 night feedings are still considered normal, so he may still need a few to get him through to the night.
I hope this helps! If you need more help along the way, let us know and we’ll be happy to support you through this.

Hi! I have a 3month old boy, he started sleeping through the night last month! I bresteed him at 12pm, thats his last feed, then he wakes up at 7am or 8am to breastfeed again. He continues to sleep until 11am when he brestfeeds again. After that he nurses ever 2-3 hours and naps a few times during the day ( no more than 20mins) . I was worried so I talked with his pediatrician, she said that he has a really good weigth and is really healthy so if he doesnt ask for a feed i souldnt wake him ( he weighs 8kgs with 3months and he is only brestfed). Sometimes i feel worried but he is a healthy boy so i decided to follow his dr’s advice. Sorry for the mistakes, english is not my mother tongue.

Hi @Valeria, thanks for writing! I’m glad to hear that your son is doing so well. I have definitely had those moments as a new mother as well where I get nervous about so many things, but it will get easier as you grow in your confidence as a mom. You are doing a wonderful job! For your reference, here is a link to a sample schedule for a 3 month old baby so you can get an idea for how much sleep and breastmilk he will need to consume in a 24 hour period: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/3-month-old-baby-sleep-and-feeding-schedule/
I hope this helps!

To compare:
My 6 month old is 7.12kg and is in the 50 percent range for her age (which is as average as you can get really).
Her cousin is 8.5kg and 8 month old (And she has always been in the top 5 percent for her age)

Hi! I’m a mom of 2 girls! My first one is 2 yrs old and my newest addition is only 3 weeks old! My question is; we are only doing formula and on demand feedings day and night. Baby sleeps well during the day in her swing of course and wakes up to feed after 3-4 hrs. Once we put her down in her bed at night..she seems to only be sleeping 2 hrs and waking up for feeds often. Sometimes she sleeps for no longer than an hour and will be hard to settle back in to sleep. Am I creating bad sleeping habits for my baby eventhough she is really young? I’ve tried putting her down in crib for daytime naps but these will sometimes only last 15 mins to 30 mins. What can I do to help her sleep better in crib and longer at night? Or is this normal sleep patterns for newborns? Also, she will sometimes not finish her a bottle at night because she falls alseep, I am wondering if that will cause her to be hungry quicker and make her wake up sooner.
Thanks!

Hi @Gayathri, thanks for writing to us! At this age many babies can sleep through the night without a feeding, so it is very normal. 🙂 Here is a link to a sample schedule for an 11 month old so you can make sure she’s getting all of the calories and sleep she needs in a 24 hour period: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/11-month-old-schedule/
Thanks again for your comment!

@Sofia – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us. We completely understand your worry – who would have thought that a baby’s long stretches of sleep could lead to worry about whether she’s getting enough nutrition! Young babies do tend to sleep a ton and eat as much as needed to sustain themselves. If you haven’t already, we’d suggest you reach out to her healthcare provider since they generally consider how well babies are growing overall to determine if all is well in their feedings and sleep and whether you can let your daughter sleep all night without waking her for a feeding. Hang in there, Sofia, and please keep reading!

I have an almost 5 month old and I am at a loss, we hit the four month sleep regression hard.. previously she would only wake once a night to nurse, then hit 4 months and would wake every 1.5 to two hours.. then last week went to 2 or 3 night wakings but last night was up many times again. She puts herself to sleep in her crib for all naps and bedtime, no rocking or pacifier or any sleep props.. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!

Hi Alessandra,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m so sorry to hear you’re struggling with the 4 month regression – it can be really tough! This regression can last quite a couple of weeks, but if you’re still having a lot of trouble, it may be that there’s something wrong with your daughter’s feeding or sleep schedule, or with her sleep environment, that is prompting the night waking. If you feel like you’d like additional help, this is definitely something our sleep consultants work with all the time! You can see our consultation packages here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Best of luck with everything!

I have recently had my 5th child with a span of 13 years between oldest and youngest (Now 4 months)
All of mine were mostly breastfed but i did to up with formula also ( i had a few 9, a 10 & an 11lber .. all very hungry babies!)
From my personal experience I have to say that it really all depends on the child. My first slept through for 12 hours one night at 4 months old.. I suddenly awoke one morning in a complete panic – fearing the worst had happened, only to see her sleeping soundly in her crib. She continued a pattern of maybe 3 half hour naps over the day and sleeping all night. She gave up day sleeping at 15 months.. i guess you could just say she was very active in the day!
The second however started off hungry enough maybe taking
2-3 feeds per night until suddenly she wouldn’t sleep in her cot for more than 10 mins… this was possibly a comfort issue, but no matter what i tried she had to be pretty much attached to me at night until about 9 months.
The 3rd was very placid, but still required night feeding upto 7 months or so before he slept through.
The fourth was born full. She would take a feed for literally 2 mins and fall asleep. I was worried she wasn’t feeding enough and constantly tried to wake her for feeds.. but she was having none of it! It was quite impossible to wake her. As the weeks went on she got hungrier, but was a little and often feeder rather than ever having a big feed. She started going the whole night around 5 months.
My 5th (16 weeks old now) is the sleepiest baby yet. She could sleep for 20 hours a day for the first few weeks ( much to the annoyance of her siblings.. She was far too boring for their liking!!)
She fed and slept at the same time from the word go and often slept for 6-7 hours straight at night from birth. She’s more alert now and totally normal development wise, (gaining weight, laughing, cooing, putting everything to her mouth etc.. ) but she still sleeps a lot of the time. I would say she’s pretty much slept through the night since birth – bar the odd time ( i do know this is amazing though and i don’t dare expect it to last!)

Anyway my point is that every baby is different and stressing about your babies sleep is only harming you. Every mother and chums figures it out eventually, the key is to trust your own instincts when it comes to your child. After all, you know them best!